The Story of Strawberry Morning
Summer in Cloverburrow always began with a promise: the promise of strawberries. Momma Rabbit tended her garden with gentle paws and a patient heart, planting row after row of strawberry bushes just beyond the burrow’s doorway. Her four little ones, however, had much less patience.
Every morning, they hopped out to the garden, noses twitching, eyes wide with questions.
“Momma, when will the strawberries come?” they asked, peering at the green leaves.
Momma Rabbit smiled. “When you see tiny white flowers, little ones. Flowers always come before fruit.”
So the days passed in warm breezes and soft sunshine. Then, one bright June morning, the garden shimmered with delicate white blooms. The little rabbits raced back inside.
“There are flowers! White flowers everywhere! When will the strawberries come now?”
Momma set down her teacup. “When the bees and butterflies visit the flowers. They help the berries grow.”
And so the little rabbits watched. They watched bumblebees drift like fuzzy clouds from blossom to blossom, and butterflies flutter like wandering petals. As soon as they saw them, they bounded home again.
“Momma! The bees came! The butterflies came! When will the strawberries be ready?”
Momma laughed. “Soon, my dears. When you see red, it’s time.”
Each day, the little rabbits inspected every bush. The flowers became tiny green beads. The beads grew plump. The green softened into pink… and at last, blushed into bright summer red.
On a warm golden morning, Momma Rabbit called out, “Gather your baskets, little ones! Today is the day!”
They picked and picked until every basket overflowed with sweet, sun-warmed berries. That afternoon, the burrow filled with the scent of whipped cream, warm biscuits, and fresh strawberries as Momma baked a strawberry shortcake big enough for them all.
And summer had officially begun.